Listen to Your Love Song
by Fen Jien Ren
Summary: / ON HIATUS / After the fight against the Varia when Gokudera and Yamamoto had decided it was best not to get together without even consulting each other, the spirits within the Vongola Rings showed up to try and convince them otherwise... or maybe not?
1. An UMA Appears!

**Listen to Your Love Song.**

Gokudera grumbled and threw his stuff all over the place as he walked through the short and dimly lit hallway of his currently rented apartment. School was extra stressful today, and because of that, he had to bid his usual quirk of tidiness a trip to hell. He could always clean up during holidays, anyway. No one would mind a little break from his typical (strict) schedule. He was really dead beat... someone should curse that baseball idiot for _dumping_ all the work to him!

_Ah_, getting worked up about it only made him even weaker. That lazy ass wasn't worth the little energy he had left. Maybe it was a mistake to fly from Italy from here, but it didn't seem such a bad idea until that baseball-centric idiot came into his life. Everything was perfect with just him and the Tenth. Why couldn't it be like that forever? Someone should really damn that kid to hell. Besides, no one wants him... only maybe except that gay Lussuria who goes head-over-heels for a corpse. Eh, either way, he didn't care how; he just wanted him gone from his life for good.

He groaned, pressing himself more against his comfy bed even more. Forget dinner and change of clothes, if the pack of cotton would just swallow him up, that would really be great. His back had more knots in them than when he would come back from training or an intense fight. Maybe it would be better to share the work with someone after all, but he wouldn't dare trouble the Tenth... and that idiot, he's only good when it comes to baseball. Moreover, that smile that moron gave him, when he said he'd handle them all because baseball idiots should just keep their idiocy in baseball only then maybe he'd get promoted to a lesser idiot, was priceless.

_That moron's smile sure looked..._ he cut his train of thought even before it reached its destination, causing his eye to twitch once or twice. Stress was already reaching his brain. He should stop and rest now before it starts to take over him completely and make him do stupid things like... _ah_, no worries. He had successfully drifted off to La-la-land before he even managed to think of anything stupid except for the peculiar smile that moron always had.

But like all great things, it met an awfully abrupt end. Gokudera was woken up to a sharp sound of a wind instrument. Looking around, he assumed it was some time close to midnight because of the only light source left outside was the street lights. So who the hell would be up at this time of the night with the nerve to play and disturb the whole neighborhood? Tch. It must be some snotty kid who just had his first day in music school. The kid's parents are bound to give him some serious lecture... at least, that was what he thought and hoped for.

"What the hell?" he sat up again, grumbling cusses as he flipped around to the edge of the bed, and stood up. The soaring pitch just went on without a stump. The player ought to be a stingy old man or something and no one had the courage to tell him off. Well, no one but him! He didn't care how old the bastard was, he should already know a lifetime sense of respect having lived that long already. Selfish old fart should be ashamed of his self.

The Italian wandered out of his apartment and listened carefully to the song. Closing his eyes, he began to direct where it was from, and within a few throbs of his nerve situated in his head, he found himself on the building's rooftop, gazing down at the back of a strangely dressed man playing a sideways instrument.

"Will you cut that out?" he spat, planting his hands on either of his hips irately, but the man paid him no mind and continued to play. It infuriated him. "Hey! I'm talking to you! I don't know and I don't care what your freaking problem is, but stop playing the damn crap already! People want to sleep here, you know!"

Still, the man ignored him, playing that low note and dragging it gently as if finishing his song. A few seconds later, the flute-player laid his instrument on his lap with a sigh. It pissed off Gokudera even more.

"HEY!" He yelled with a heavy stomp off his foot, "Are you deaf, you piping idiot? I said you're being a big selfish bastard!"

"Huh?" the music-player turned around. The man turned out to be fairly aged and not some annoying old man. Well, that made things easier. Gokudera didn't have to hold back and worry about giving anyone a cardiac arrest this late night.

"Don't 'huh' me!" he growled, "I've been talking to you and you're just ignoring me!"

The man dumbly stared at him, childishly pointing at himself with his index finger. "Would you be hoping to converse with me?"

"You..." the Italian glowered at that face, somehow even though it looked very innocent, it _really_ pissed him off like recognizing the man as someone who he owed a bone-breaking fiesta to. "I'm not _trying_ to converse with you! I _am_ talking to you! Actually, I've been talking to you for the past five minutes, you smartass! Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"

"Really?" he suddenly beamed, laughing lightly, "I am Asari Ugetsu. Pleased to meet you!"

"HUH?" Gokudera gaped at the strange man now revealed to be named as Asari Ugetsu. "Are you an idiot?"

"Say," Ugetsu started, turning around to face him completely, "How come you're still awake during the hour of the rat?"

"Hour of what now?"

"Youth your age must still be in social education, yes? You should take all the rest you could, _chibi_."

"Don't call me '_chibi_', you crazy old man! And I was, and still should be if you weren't playing your stupid instrument and wake me from my sleep!"

"Oh, is that so? My apologies, then." He smiled.

"Yeah, you should be damn sorry." He scowled and turned towards the edge of the roof, "And you better not make me climb back up here!"

"Shouldn't I help you recover your lost sleep instead?"

"Huh?" the silver-haired foreigner turned around in curiosity only to be welcomed by the sight of Ugetsu returning the bamboo instrument close to his lips. Somehow this made him feel like he was dealing with that _other_ idiot who doesn't change his mind no matter anyone else says. So annoying. "H-hey! I said—"

Ugetsu began to play another series of high-pitched notes, but this time, it strangely lulled young Gokudera to sleep. At the first few flicks of his fingers to the air from the long piece of bamboo, the Italian's heart strings were pulled in the gentlest way and coaxed his puffy eyes to rest. In a few more minutes, he fell down to the roof with consciousness even far from the tips of his fingers.

**xxx**

_Bi-bi-bi-bip! Bi-bi-bi-bip! Bi-bi-bi-bi—_"Shut up," Gokudera groaned awake as he slammed the alarm clock into silence. Rolling over the bed, he hugged the blue bed sheets closer and rested his eyes a few minutes more. Last night, even though he went to bed as early as he could, his body still felt as heavy as lead. Maybe it had to do with his also _stressful_ dream. Come to think of it, that man from his dream looked a lot like the baseball idiot. He sighed. That idiot's gonna be in his nightmares now, too? Such a pain... but whatever, he decided to take a few more minutes of sleep, so...

"You're going to be late for school, _chibi_."

"_Chi_—WHOA!" Gokudera shot up, staring at the weird man from last night who was sitting at the edge of his bed. "You! What are you doing here? How did you get inside my apartment? Get out!"

Ugetsu laughed lightly, "Spilt water will not return to the tray, _chibi_."

"What the hell are you saying? And don't call me '_chibi_'!" he sighed after the one-sided screaming bout against an idiot and then bent over to lay his light head on his still blanket covered lap. "Yelling so early in the morning is so tiring... my head still hurts."

"Death can only cure idiocy."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Gokudera glared up, snatching out a handful of dynamites. "Hey, are you part of some other family that are after the Tenth? Don't you dare lie or I'll blow you up!"

"Oh, you belong to a family, too?" Ugetsu smiled, "I wonder if we are allied families. I'm from the Vongola."

"You too? Then you're here to meet the Tenth! Or are you here on Xanxus's orders?" he asked, ready to light his explosives if his assumptions turned out to be right. The Italian looked closely at the musician's eyes, no matter how good one is, one's eyes will always be the window to one's soul. "Lie and die, old man."

"I'm not that old."

"Whatever, just answer my question!"

"I didn't come here under anyone's orders, _chibi_. You have my word for that."

"Hn. Fine," Gokudera sighed and laid down his explosives. "If you want to meet Tenth, then as the right-hand man, I'll accompany you to him. But as you can see, I am not read yet... so could you freaking please get out?"

"Now, now, no need to shout, _chibi._"

"I'm not '_chibi'_!" he growled, "I'm Gokudera Hayato! The best right-hand man in the Vongola!"

"Really now?"

"Yes! Now, GET OUT!" the silver-haired jumped and tackled Ugetsu out of his room, shutting the door with a violent thud that made the musician cringe from the other side. "And don't you touch anything!"

"Yes, right-hand man," Ugetsu answered softly, smiling rather contentedly at his current very interesting finding, and then reached inside his left sleeve to take out his _shinobue_ flute. Sitting down before the white painted door, he began to play his personal favorite song.

**xxx**

"Don't smile like that!"

"Like what?"

"Like THAT!" Gokudera screeched, stopping in his tracks to face a blatantly amused Asari Ugetsu. "And why are you even following me? I told you I'll let you meet the Tenth after school! Why can't you just wait till then?"

"Well, you didn't say I can't come with you."

"Well, I'm saying it now!" he growled, stomping his foot. "Go walk around the park or something! Just meet us at Namimori Middle School at around four!"

"Understood." Ugetsu nodded with a warm smile and then... v-v-v-v-vanished with a blue flame? Gokudera blinked once, twice, thrice... he couldn't be hallucinating that strangely dressed man! He didn't even know if he had enough imagination to create such a person! It can't be! It couldn't be! Asari Ugetsu was real, he was sure! But how can a person do that?

Gokudera gasped. There was only one logical explanation!

_He's an U.M.A.!_

**xxx**

For the rest of the morning, Gokudera's mind was all but spared by bunches of hypotheses regarding the U.M.A. he just encountered. He didn't even bother paying attention to discussions, not that he did ever, but he was more distracted than usual, scribbling on his notebook nonstop with his reading glasses fogging from all the unbolted excitement. It couldn't be helped since this was his first time to officially meet one!

"Asari Ugetsu, wasn't it?" he whispered, jotting down per letter from his self-invented G-letters with great depth. "I should've paid more attention to our conversations... tch!"

"You called for me, _chibi_?"

"W-whoa!" Gokudera gasped, falling off his seat, but instead of complaining, he hurried to his notebook and began scribbling down new information about the U.M.A. who just appeared out of thin air. "How could you do that?" he asked in wild amazement.

"Gokudera? Gokdera-kun! Are you alright? Are you hurt, Gokudera-kun?" The female population of the class worriedly asked, the class seemingly forgotten in an instant.

"Gokudera-kun," Tsuna approached, "Are you alright?"

"Ah, Tenth! Y-yes, of course, I'm fine!" He laughed lightly, scratching the back of his head, as he put all his things in order. "This guy just took me by surprise!"

"What guy?"

"Huh?" Gokudera blinked. "This guy, Tenth." He said, jabbing his finger to Ugetsu's direction.

"Outside the window? But there's no one there, Gokudera-kun."

"Okay, settle down class." the professor announced, cutting the Italian's reply by hitting the table with the thick attendance log book. Tsuna then just smiled at him with a nod and walked back to his seat, their conversation left unfinished. "Get back to your seats! Let's get back to the lesson."

Gokudera stared up at the musician's smiling face as he settled down his seat, "They can't see you?"

"Well, I suppose you're the only one who can see me, _chibi._"

"Awesome!" he beamed, turning back to his notebook and returned to writing his discoveries. "What else can you do? Can you like communicate to others like you?"

"I believe so,"

"Really? That's cool!"

Ugetsu laughed, seeing a completely new look on the boy's always scrunched up face. "We can always talk about me back at your apartment, _chibi_. For now, listen to your mentor. One's act is one's profit."

"What? Are you sending me a coded message?"

"It's a proverb, _chibi_." He chuckled, "I want you to listen to your class."

In the end, Gokudera didn't do what he was told. Throughout the classes that took place while Ugetsu was there, trying to persuade the enthusiastic Italian into paying attention in class, the musician's efforts were all futile. The young and proud Strom Guardian just kept on throwing and throwing him questions he didn't entirely understand, but tried to answer them to the best of his knowledge. After all, he couldn't entirely refuse the young child, when he could see in those eyes the light that someone close to him also once had.

So the hours ticked by and their conversations didn't die down even a bit. Gokudera welcomed him more this time, now that he was mistaken for one of the many things Ugetsu himself was curious about. The Italian was more than passionate, if there was even a bigger word than that. The musician had also long given up in trying to coax the young middle-school student since he didn't have the heart to break their interesting conversation by saying he wasn't what the boy thought him to be, because that seemed to be the only way to hold back the question barrage.

"_Chibi_," he began, slipping his hands on each of his long sleeves, and cut off the young one's voiced out thoughts and wonders. "It's time for free recreation."

"Huh?" Gokudera rested his eyes and took off his glasses, laying down his pen and closing his notebook. "You mean break time." He said, stretching his limbs.

"Mm-hm."

The Italians sighed contentedly, "Best time of the day."

"Aren't you going to eat with your friends?"

"I always eat with Tenth! Wanna come with us?" he grinned, sliding back his seat as he stood up. "You should show yourself to him, too! You're here to meet the Tenth after all, right?"

"Maybe next time, _chibi_." Ugetsu answered with a smile, taking out his bamboo flute. "I'm quite feeling too tired to rendezvous."

"Eh, will you be alright?" the tenth Storm Guardian asked, slinging his bag on his shoulder, "Do you take your energy from playing or something?"

"Perhaps. Let's meet again later." he said with a chuckle, raising the horizontal instrument to his lips, and then vanished with the fading sound of his high-pitched flute.

"Hn." Gokudera stared at the space that his recently discovered U.M.A. occupied. They sure can do a lot of great things. After all, they wouldn't be unidentified mysterious animals for nothing, but why would they hide so much, he wondered. It would really be amazing if a bunch of them would show up. That way he wouldn't have to concentrate on only one kind, because surely there are lots of them out there.

"Yo, Gokudera! Anything wrong?" Yamamoto approached, slinging his arm around the Italian's neck. "Did you forget your wallet?"

The light-skinned Italian student scoffed. "Idiot. Don't mistake me for you."

He laughed, "Well then! Let's go the rooftop before someone else gets our place."

"Idiot, what do you mean 'our' place? It's just mine and the Tenth's! You're not welcome there!"

"Now, now, Gokudera, don't be like that."

"Hands off, baseball idiot!" he snarled, pinching the hand dangling close to his chest hard which earned him a yelp and his desired reaction. "Don't you dare get cocky around me!"

"Loosen up, will you? We're both guardians now, aren't we?" the baseball player lightly laughed as he rubbed the sore spot on his hand. "Hey, Tsuna! Gokudera and I are gonna go on first, okay?"

"Oh, okay. I'll meet you guys there in a sec."

"Ack, no!" Gokudera began struggling, "I'm gonna go with the Tenth! Let go of me, baseball idiot!" He clawed at the arm that was locked around his neck as he tried kicking and everything, but Yamamoto always seemed to have more of strength than he ever had, proving his efforts pointless. It annoyed him so much that the stupid idiot was obviously not using even half of his strength to restrain and drag him out of the room. What was worse was the ringing bark of laughter close to his ear. "Tenth! Teeeeenth!" he yelled, reaching out and somewhat asking for help, but Tsuna just waved him goodbye and smiled real softly.

_Tenth?_

**xxx**

"You are such an idiot!" the Italian snarled, fisting the raven-haired's shirt and pulling him close to his face. "As the future right-hand man, I should always be with the Tenth! What will you do if something bad happens to him all of a sudden? You're being such a nuisance, baseball idiot!"

"Tsuna can take care of himself, Gokudera. He's not a child." He replied coolly with a shadow of a smile, trying to beat his temper in place, as the man gripping his shirt tightly glared daggers. "You saw how cool he was against that Xanxus guy, right?"

"Che!" he threw him back as he released his hold. "You are too carefree. You never know when some guy from another family suddenly shows up and..."

"Well, I think Gokudera is so up-tight!"

"Shut up! You're too carefree!" He spat, plopping down as he pealed off the thin plastic covering his sandwich, "Really, I still wonder why Reborn-san wanted you in the family."

"What are you talking about? The more the merrier, right?" the young athlete laughed, rummaging through his bag, and brought out a simple black bento box with little golden designs. "Try some, Gokudera! Dad made these to celebrate—eh? You don't want any, Gokudera?"

"Hn." He grunted, turning away, and stuffed his mouth with his bought lunch.

"C'mon, Gokudera, try them!" Yamamoto inched closer, holding out the opened bento. "Dad makes really great sushi!"

"I don't want it."

"I promise that you won't regret it. Just one is fine!"

"I already said I don't want it, baseball idiot! What makes you think asking me again will change my mind?" he barked, crumpling the clear plastic, and moved close to the fences to light his smoke. "Save them for the Tenth." He said, breathing in, "Tenth likes them a lot."

"Eh?"

"Your dad obviously prepared only for two, idiot." Gokudera turned around to face the rest of the school grounds as nervousness strongly washed through his veins. He drew in another shot of nicotine, desperately fighting the heat that was insistently climbing up his face, particularly to his cheeks. The stupid baseball freak sharing lunch... isn't that...

"Oh, Tsuna!" the baseball player beamed, greeting the arriving future Mafia boss, "I forgot to ask you this morning! But were you able to do your Math assignment last night?"

"Tenth!" he greeted too, smiling at the brunette, and then turned to the raven-haired sitting down on the floor. "Of course, he did, baseball freak! He's not an idiot like you!"

"A-actually, Gokudera-kun..." no-good Tsuna sighed, settling in the middle of his two best friends, "Lambo was so noisy last night, I couldn't concentrate."

"Eh? Again, Tenth? You should've called me over so I could help you." Gokudera sat back down, sitting close to the future boss. "Oh, and this idiot here brought some sushi, Tenth! You love them, right?

"But you're already working alone on our group project, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna replied before taking a sushi from Yamamoto's own offered bento box. "This tastes great, Yamamoto!"

"Of course, dad made them especially for today."

"That's right! You have a big game tonight, right?"

"Yup! Dad said he can't come watch, so he wished me luck by making this for me instead." He grinned, "But you two are gonna be there for me, right?"

"Eh?" the Italian blinked, unconsciously staring weirdly at the smiling raven-haired who was luckily too occupied talking to Tsuna to notice. _Didn't Yamamoto say something about celebrating something?_

"Um... I'm sorry, Yamamoto. I don't know if I could. Reborn said I should come home as early as I could."

"Oh, the kid, eh? I see, that's alright, Tsuna. There's always next time." The Rain guardian snickered and ruffled the smaller one's brown hair, "How about you Gokudera?"

"In case you have forgotten, I still have to do our group assignment. I can't waste my time watching you, idiot."

"That's why I told you to at least give me something to do." Yamamoto pouted. Yes, pouted... _shit_.

Gokudera's angry eye ticked. "And I told you that you're just going to mess everything up! Just limit your idiocy to baseball, baseball idiot!"

Yamamoto just laughed before taking in his food. This was their everyday kind of lunch: argue, fool around, argue, and then laugh and laugh. Afterwards, they would hurry to class even before the next class start to make up for the time they lost during the previous night and do their homework, this time with right answers (courtesy of Gokudera). Every day was like this, and if Gokudera would just say he wanted this to last forever, then everything would be extremely perfect, but that was far from the case. Days like this were just full of pain for him.

**xxx**

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just that... Gokudera came to watch my game!" The baseball player before him grinned, "I'm so happy."

Right... it was _painful_. Why did he come here again?

"I'm not here for you, idiot. Tenth asked me to so I could report to him how the game went, because obviously no one would understand a thing if we have you tell it." He muttered, turning away a little to light the cigarette dangling loosely from his lips. "Besides as the right-hand man, I have to make sure of all the guardian's well being. Who knows when you decide to goof around and hurt yourself."

"Still, I'm happy." Yamamoto insisted, taking off his baseball cap. "But I wish Gokudera would stop talking about being the right-hand man all time."

"What did you say?"

"Well, I want Gokudera to watch me as Gokudera, not as someone's right-hand man." Maybe for once in his life, Yamamoto's voice came out low and soft... almost impossible to be heard. He turned a little to the opposite side of where the Italian had his head skewed, and began awkwardly scratching his nape. "Well, what I'm trying to say is..."

"Tch. If you don't want me here, just say so." Gokudera almost growled as he held his lit cigarette away from his lips. "It makes everything easier."

"No, it's not that." He sighed, uncomfortably smiling. "I'm sorry... I don't know what I'm saying. Thank you for coming, Gokudera."

"Like I said, I didn't come here for you."

"I know that," Yamamoto smiles broadly as he put back on his cap. "Well, I have to go now! You better watch closely, Gokudera, so you can tell it good to Tsuna!"

"Uh-huh. Do your best, baseball idiot." The Storm Guardian yelled after the retreating form who gave him a simple thumb up for a reply. Gokudera shook his head and sighed as he took a seat, staring down at the brown soil before his feet. Really, why was he here? It was hard enough to be around that idiot during school hours and act like nothing was going on. What more when no one was there to remind him of his bounds? Tsuna already said he couldn't come.

"_Chibi,_" a familiar voice whispered in his ear, cutting all his thoughts abruptly and reconstructing his selfish mask back up his face without a slight hassle.

"Ah, it's you."

"You're upset."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"...did you just appear just to annoy me?" the silver-haired gritted out, crushing the paper case of his cigarettes in one of his fists due to annoyance. "Stop smiling. It's annoying."

Ugetsu chuckled and began to hum, turning to face the temporary little house for the current players of the up-coming baseball game. "Now I see why you hate my smile so much."

He frowned, foreseeing where the conversation was going. "...that guy pisses me off." He puffed out gray smoke, choosing to look anywhere but to the place the musician was paying much close attention to. He really didn't like where this was going, but as awesome as U.M.A.'s were, he doubted he could take it somewhere else.

"And yet you're here, watching his game."

"Are you trying to get on my bad side?" Gokudera scowled, glaring at his companion as he stomped on his cigarette. Somehow, it didn't taste just as great than usual. "I'm here as the Tenth's representative, that's it." He muttered as he started feeling his pockets for a possible spare box of cigarettes.

"You shouldn't smoke so much, _chibi_."

"Oh, shut up. And stop calling me '_chibi'_."

"Then, Hayato, was it?" Ugetsu smiled, peering close to the suddenly flushed Italian.

"It's Gokudera." He frowned, hating how his name sounded coming from the other. Looking at the musicican's face and not minding the weird headgear, it was almost like the _other_ idiot was the one who just tried to call him by his first name with such ease. Why did they have to look so much alike? Really? The Storm Guardian coughed, clearing his throat to somehow relieve some tension he would've already lost if he only had some more stuff to smoke. "Call me Gokudera."

"Very well. Then, Gokudera-kun,"

The Italian stiffened, flushing. "Don't add '_kun_'!"

"'_-chan_'?"

"Hell no!" he yelled, "Just 'Gokudera'!"

"But..."

"It's fine!" Gokudera-_kun_ growled, turning away to hide his tomato red face. Why did it have to be this awkward? Stupid baseball idiotic face! "Tch. I'm out of cigarettes."

"Why do you smoke?" Ugetsu asked out of the blue, "Is it also because of stress?"

_Also?_ "Well... bad habit," He sighed, brushing his hair up, "And yeah a little of stress."

"Well, that's because you always keep your emotions inside, Gokudera!" he said as a matter-of-factly and weirdly so enthusiastically, "You should learn to share."

"No, thanks." The Italian sulked, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and leaned back. "I'm a selfish man."

"You will not catch the cub if you do not enter the tiger's cave, Gokudera."

"What? Are you sending me coded message again?"

"You want a message?" Ugetsu smiled, carefully taking out his bamboo instrument from his long sleeves. "Tell the boy much you care."

"Psh. He can go die for all I care." The silver-haired leaned forward, cradling his chin with a clenched fist. "I'm not here because I want to."

The musician hummed, smiling slightly. "Child of a frog is a frog, after all." He murmured, but it was loud enough for Gokudera to hear. For some odd reason, the Storm guardian got the feeling that Asari Ugestu had been talking to him as if he knew everything about him. He couldn't fight off that strong pull even how many times he tried ever since he first laid his eyes on him. However, as strange as it would already seem, Gokudera also couldn't deny that he felt just the same.

He sighed, "I'm gonna go buy some cigarettes."

"No need. I'll take them away for you." The musically inclined U.M.A. softly spoke, laying his hands over the young Italian's clammy hand, and generously gave another warm smile. Turning straight, he gracefully brought his favorite instrument close to his lips and began playing. Soon after, the baseball game started and Ugestu kept on playing as Gokudera watched Yamamoto play his own favorite hobby.

For the rest of that afternoon, Gokudera lasted through the whole game without feeling the itch to light a single bar of cancer.

* * *

**FEN: **An U.M.A., for those who may have forgotten, is an unidentified mysterious animal. Gokudera is strangely interested to them to a very amusing extent, that's why I couldn't help but use it. He's such a freak-lover, being the baseball freak his favorite freak, ne? And oh, Ugetsu's _coded messages_ are all Japanese proverbs translated literally. Anyhow, this will have slight love triangles between Ugetsu, Gokudera, and Yamamoto, but it would eventually be 8059. G will be joining in the fun a few chapters later, too. So, I hope you'll read till then?

Reviews will strip Gokudera and Yamamoto of their clothing! So help me strip them! XD


	2. Hide and Seek

**Listen to Your Love Song.**

During the rest of the game, while Ugestu was playing a certain familiar piece, Gokudera was able to last through it without lighting a single cigarette or even feeling the slightest anxiety. He didn't know whether it was really because of the song or because of that tiny, covert fact that he heard that one line that he always wanted to hear from a man he could easily mistake for the boy he liked. Even though he knew that the Tenth had always meant that, hearing it was absolutely another thing. He was truly relieved... and he felt happy.

But no one had to know that. It was nice hearing it, but he couldn't dwell on it for too long—one terrible heartbreak was more than enough to teach him how the world works. He couldn't possibly bear another.

He had stayed enough here, wasting such precious time.

"We are leaving? So untimely." the musician asked, slipping back his beloved instrument into his sleeves, and followed the half-Italian boy, who was wandering off, without waiting for his desired reply. If he was as good as his boss accredited him to be as someone who could see through and easily read people, then the answer to his question would be somewhere between the lines of: _"I don't have any more reason to be here._" Such a sad fellow he thought Gokudera was. However, as he ignorantly followed the back of the retreating middle-schooler, he looked back at the raven-haired teen being thrown high to the air and realized that Gokudera had every right to be how he is.

As they passed through dark and almost empty streets, Ugetsu felt that the atmosphere was too cold for his liking. Although Gokudera was not a human born with rainbows and sunshine, the boy was still acting a little too hateful than usual. Or maybe just dark? Was the boy frustrated about something? So far, he hadn't seen anything that could cause such a mood. Besides, the boy had been like this since they left the stadium. He didn't even say anything to his so-called bane of... oh. _Ooohh..._

"_Chibi_,"

"What, U.M.A.?"

Ugetsu flinched at that, but tried to smile even a little. That was what the Italian boy had been insisting that he was, although he was not entirely sure of what it is, he just settled in agreeing with a bit of reluctant nod. Living so long also had its downsides; crazy things pop up here and there now and then. However, Gokudera never called him that before, even though the boy really never called him but once with his whole name, he always settled with just referring to him as a 'you'. "I just remembered that you didn't congratulate your friend back there for the success he led against their opponents."

Gokudera stopped on his tracks, pulled out his phone, flipped it open, pressed the many keys on the contraption's body, and then turned around to blare at him, "THERE! Happy now?" and run away in full speed afterwards.

He laughed at the smoke trail the silver-haired boy left as he ran. Although he was having a case of light tinnitus, the musician couldn't help but smile. Seeing such a behavior made him remember that one man from his own past... that one man who was always secretly waiting for a push from anyone before making his move even when it came to his own desires. In the end people like that just wanted to have an excuse to do such things for a person they tell the whole world to be his most hated. It was interesting enough the first time... how much more the second time around?

_How charming._ He told himself, smiling.

**xxx**

Gokudera sat on his bed, leaning back against the headboard, as he pressed on the different keys on his black and red, skull-themed cellular phone. He didn't have anything to do, he reasoned. Tomorrow was a no-school day and the main attraction of his current research was nowhere to be found. So, there was really nothing to do but to exchange messages with a certain baseball idiot.

...it's not like he wanted to! He just didn't want to die of boredom and well, whatnot. Gokudera grumbled under his breath as he thought about it, swearing to his grave that he was not—not, not, not—enjoying this. He couldn't possibly enjoy this. It wasn't the idiot boy's doing that he was smiling. Wait, he wasn't smiling. _Goddammit._ He wasn't!

'_Gokudera! Thanks a lot! Did you like the game?_' the screen of his cell phone displayed. Even like this, the Storm Guardian could still _feel_ the smile of the man on the other side of the line. It was really pathetic.

'_Idiot.'_ He typed in. _'You seriously think I enjoyed that? It was boring! If it weren't for because the Tenth wanting to know so much about how the game went, I would've already left within five minutes.'_

Gokudera chuckled as he read the reply he instantly got._ 'Aww, that's mean. :D'_ The moron still had the nerve to put such a thing at the end of his message even after being insulted along with his beloved sport. It was... funny, somewhat.

'_Are you stupid? I said you suck! The baseball team would be better off without you, idiot!'_

'_But did you mean you'd still come watch without Tsuna asking you to?'_

"Huh?" he stared at his phone, _'Of course not! What are you saying, baseball idiot!'_

'_Well, Gokudera said that if it weren't for Tsuna, you would've left within five minutes! That means Gokudera would still watch my game, right? Well, try to watch, at least. I'm happy. :)'_

"Tch." The Italian flushed furiously, almost to the point he gritted his teeth to keep his heart from jumping out of his lips. He raised his knees up and pressed them against his chest as he leaned forward, putting his arms around his bent legs as he texted his reply. _'Idiot!'_ Was the only thing that came to his mind, but there was no way in hell that was all he was going to say! That would give off that he was guilty! And he was _so_ not! So he thought and thought and thought about what else to add until another message went into his inbox.

'_Gokudera~ :D'_ Strangely enough, the emoticon really did look a lot like the idiot.

'_What?'_

'_Oh, I thought you might've fallen asleep. You didn't reply to my last message. Are you sleepy?'_

'_No. You?'_

'_Aah... Gokudera cares about me! Makes me really happy. :)'_

"Go DIE." He spat at his phone as he typed in the same thing as his final reply, and then flipped it close. Yamamoto being an idiot was an already well established fact, but him getting all _girly_ over the idiot was not. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Somehow, since yesterday, he had forgetting the decision he had firmly made. He was taking himself back where he started. Gokudera sighed, burying his face in between his knees. "Idiot."

Through the weight of the silence, a peculiar series of notes sliced through. He opened his emerald eyes he didn't know he had closed and turned to his digital clock only to find out that he had actually fallen asleep. It was almost midnight, around the same time his sleep was disturbed last night. Considering the sound of the unwanted wakeup call, Asari Ugetsu was more likely atop the rooftop once more.

Gokudera shook his head and decided to lie down properly. It was good music being played... he even recognized what it was. Too bad he didn't the play the piano anymore. It would be really nice if they could play together.

Play... a game?

"_Gokudera, over here! Hide with me!"_

It was just PE without any coach. For some reason, everyone who could sub just wasn't present, so they were left alone to do anything they wanted to do. Obviously, Gokudera wanted nothing more but to spend that free time with the tenth Vongola boss and maybe smoke a stick of two. He didn't intend or even imagine on spending every little second of it with Yamamoto, at all. It was all a sudden change of plans... which got changed again and again and again every time someone from the Family showed up. Even Hibari did; he came to break up the noise. Nonetheless, everyone was there, playing the game that the baseball idiot started—a simple game of hide-and-seek, and the best part of it was, according to Gokudera although he would rather die than say it, was how it began.

"_I found you, Gokudera!"_

"_Wha?"_

"_You guys are playing hide-and-seek? Ha! Lambo-san is a master of this game! Let great Lambo-san in, too!"_

Before that idiot cow came, Yamamoto had his arm around Gokudera's shoulder, and they were pretty close to each other. The baseball player's smile then was very different; it was far... happier and true, and everything that made the Storm Guardian's skin burn from where they touched and his insides churn in a funny little way. He didn't know when it started, but that was the time he realized it was happening... when he was already in too deep, far too deep to be saved.

"_Yeah! Let's play!"_

And then a few minutes after that...

"_Gokudera, over here! Hide with me!"_

They were holding hands in a place no one was there but them, hiding from the fiery eyes of the Sun Guardian who was enthusiastically seeking them.

"Yama...moto..." Gokudera scrunched up his face, shoving it into his pillow. He hated this feeling, this feeling that seems like his insides were melting. He hated remembering. He screamed curses against the innocent pillow, pointlessly fighting off the tears stinging their way to freedom.

It would be nice if he could do the same, too. Enjoy freedom, that is.

Why did he have to like that idiot? That stupid baseball idiot? He used to hate everything about him—used to despise even the thought of breathing the same air that Yamamoto breathed—so why did it come to this? Was that guy's idiocy had been rubbing off on him through the months without him noticing it? That guy... yeah, number one problem is that he's a guy! A guy like him... how could he like him? He had the same _stuff_ that the moron has. Why would he... oh, God! Why is he even thinking about this?

Gokudera grumbled, messing his hair as he rolled over. That was some big, serious crap he was thinking there! Okay, moving on, moving on...

_Nngh..._

"Stupid... Yamamoto."

That moron just had to be so kind and friendly and... _sweet_ that Gokudera couldn't help himself that sometimes, he would wish that things could go otherwise—that things could be better like maybe Yamamoto's father wouldn't mind their lineage to stop in this era, or that Yamamoto would be fine and stay as he is even after getting turned into a fine murderer. Or maybe it could be better in the sense that he would fall out of love with that idiot and everything would turn back to how it should be. Painful, but yes... that's just how things should be.

Yamamoto and he... they can not be together. Never be together. Not like this, not this way... but certainly this cruel. This painful. This hard. This...

"Ssh..."

Appearing out of thin air, Asari Ugetsu stood by the slightly quivering boy. Having heard the muffled cries, he reached down and poured a little of his calming flame as he rubbed the boy's tense shoulders and back; then he began to hum a familiar tune. A few minutes later, he switched into playing the song with his flute and chose not to stop until the next morning when Gokudera finally fell asleep.

It was his friend's favorite love song from years back.

**xxx**

"Nngh..." emerald eyes opened and blinked once or twice as the morning sun tickled him awake. He sat up and stared at the blanket he didn't remember pulling over himself, but as a certain range of notes filled his ears... it was all he needed to keep his questions at bay with enough answers. With a sigh, he left his bed to take a nice, long and relaxing shower where he cleared his mind of everything. It was the best next thing to lunch breaks during boring schooldays.

Later that day, Gokudera decided to finish all his schoolwork that was intended for the rest of the weekend. He didn't have anything better to do after all. As he let his pen dance away over his notebook as he lazily cradled his face with a palm, a warm blue flame lit up behind him and soon engulfed the a space fit for a well-grown man. Asari Ugestu appeared without a sound.

"_Chibi_," he gently called the boy's attention as he bent over a little to see over the half-Italian's tensed shoulders. "What are you troubling yourself with?"

"Homework. Can't you tell by just looking?" the boy answered simply as he heaved a strong dose of nicotine from the long stick of white and brown held in place by his pale lips. Taking off his reading glasses and hair tie, he turned his head around to look back at his companion. "But I've had enough of this shit. You said we'd talk about you here, right?"

"Haven't we talked enough?" the musician anxiously replied as he settled down at the other end of the low table. "Besides," he began, laughing lightly, "You didn't exactly do what I asked you to do. Remember, _chibi_: one who chases after two hares won't catch even one. "

"I still don't get you," he weaved back, shifting his weight to his other leg as he crossed them underneath the table. Looking up, he spoke with overflowing boredom. "But what did we talk about again exactly?"

"My, how forgetful of you." He awkwardly smiled, seeing exactly where everything was going, and said next what the young Vongola guardian had so obviously been waiting for. "Let's just forget about it, then. Hopefully it will help you raise the chance to catch one."

As expected right after the very last word was spoken, Gokudera got charged up and slammed his hands on the table as he resituated his weight on his knees. He was practically spouting _joy_. "Now! Tell me how the family got you."

"'Got' me?" He blinked, "Well, that is..."

"That's it!" the silver-haired bolted up and stepped a foot over the table, forming such a dramatic pose and startling the older male. "I have found a new purpose! When I become Tenth's right-hand, I will also deduct a research on U.M.A.'s that will be very beneficial to the Family! Also the whole world will start to recognize you! And the Tenth! That's a good plan, right?" Gokudera turned to Ugestu who stared back with round eyes, "It is, right?" he asked again, taking his foot off the table, and plopped down with as much zest he had throughout his speech. Putting on his reading glasses back on, he clicked the butt of his pen and prepared to inscribe whatever wonders he was about to discover for the day. "Now, sign this paper so we'll have a legal agreement."

"Legal agreement? Concerning what, may I ask?"

"Well, the first step to this would be dissection..."

"Di...s-ssection?" Ugetsu began to laugh nervously, raising a dismissing hand, "It isn't nice to draw water to one's own rice field, _chibi._"

"Who said about planting rice?"

"No, what I mean is..."

"What are you complaining about? It's for the Family! The Family!" the young guardian balled his fist and knocked it on the table to emphasize his point. "And I have memorized the human anatomy since I was little, so if you're just the same, then there's going to be no problem!"

"I have faith in your intelligence, but," Ugetsu inched away, "that's completely beside the point."

"Then what's the problem? It's for the sake of the research's advancement!" he slammed his fist again, losing the patience he never thought he would around his most beloved unidentified mysterious animals. He was sure he had stock enough of them, and imagining that he was facing the Tenth sure helped a lot in preserving them, but... somehow, no matter how he willed himself to think otherwise, he always felt he was in the presence of _that_ idiot and getting pissed was his default reaction to him. "What do you got to lose?"

"Everything?"

"Oh, come on!" He stood up and stomped over his table, glowering down at the strangely dressed musician—ready to resort to violence in the name of the Tenth Vongola Family. "I already told you that I—_ding! Ding!_—eh?"

"My," _What great timing!'_ he nervously laughed,"You have a visitor, Gokudera!"

"Don't laugh!" he snarled, stomping.

"O—"

"Stop smiling!"

"S—"

"And don't you dare apologize, idiot!"

"Calm down, calm down," he raised his hands in surrender, laughing lightly, '_At least he's not going to cut me up anymore._ "Let flow in the water and mind your guests, _chibi_."

"Don't call me that! And I said don't laugh!" Gokudera grumbled cusses under his breath as he turned around to answer his door. He tried to ignore it the initial onset of the thought, but no matter how many times he tried to shake it off, it just won't. Everything about Asari Ugetsu just _screamed_ Yamamoto Takeshi. Could they possibly be relatives or something? "Tch. Such a pain." He groaned, taking out a stick rich of nicotine from somewhere and put it in between his slightly darkened lips as he yanked his door open, "Piss off, assh—huh?"

"Yo!" Yamamoto beamed. "Good mornin', Gokudera!"

Well, speaking of the moron... the bane of his existence is here! Oh, _joy_! "What do you want?" He scowled.

"I'm happy to see you, too!" the baseball player chuckled, hunching forward, "Well, I—_oh!_ You didn't say you already have a visitor, Gokudera. You should've told me! Well, isn't he the one you brought with you when you came to watch my game?"

"Yeah... you can see him?" he looked back confusingly. He was sure Ugetsu once told him something like nobody else could see him, so how could this baseball idiot do? "Are you sure? Aren't you just seeing things?"

"Am I not supposed to see him? Oh, I see, you guys are playing hide-and-seek! My bad, my bad."

"No," he grunted, "Who would wanna play that stupid game?"

"I don't get you, Gokudera. But that means I can go greet him right?" the raven-haired smiled happily and then turned to the man he could see sitting in the tiny living room of the Hurricane Bomber's apartment, waving enthusiastically at him. "Yo! I'm Yamamoto Takeshi! Thanks for coming with Gokudera to watch my game!"

"Asari Ugetsu. Nice to meet you." Answered another smiling face. "Won't you come in?"

"Nice to meet you, too!" he yelled back, putting down his hand, and turned back to the obviously annoyed Gokudera. Thanks to Yamamoto dropping for a visit, now there are _two_ idiots in the house. "Eh, Gokudera, can I?"

"Well, you two just talked as if I'm not here... why not go all the way already?" he answered with dripping sarcasm as he turned around to walk back inside. _Baseball idiot._ Gokudera frowned, choosing this as the perfect time to light his last bridge to a few minutes of stress-free life.

"Well, sorry for intruding!" Yamamoto said as he joyfully took off his outside shoes and walked after his pale-skinned friend, who was actually heading into his tiny kitchen space. "Hey, Gokudera! Do you have some milk?"

"Milk?"

"Yep!" the raven-haired smiled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked towards the moderately-sized fridge. "I'm thirsty... but you only have sodas here! Oh, you also have some beer! Did you buy these yourselves, Gokudera?"

"Are you for real, baseball idiot? At this age, do you think I'd still drink milk?" He whipped around, glaring at the boy who was down and drowning himself on all his stored food. "Hey! Who told you that you can open somebody else's fridge!"

"But I'm thirsty!"

"Why are you even here? Did you seriously dropped by just to piss me off?" Gokudera stomped towards him and shoved him back, shutting the tiny white door of his refrigerator with a backwards kick. "And you're not getting any! Go die and get dehydrated for all I care!"

"I just wanted to help you on our group project!" he griped, "And please buy milk next time, Gokudera."

"I don't remember calling you! And who the hell are you to tell me what to stuff in my fridge? Go buy your own, baseball idiot!"

"Well, if I'm here, you'd eventually give me something to do, right? And it's the house's owner's duty to serve his guest, so..."

"You're no guest! And I said you're not getting any! That's final!"

"Whaaat? Water! I'm okay water! Water's healthy!"

"I just said you're not getting any! GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN!" Gokudera snarled, almost literally throwing his _guest_ out of his kitchen door to the short hallway that could be accessed and seen from any part of his apartment. Ugetsu just watched in amusement as Yamamoto insisted on getting back inside and get at least a glass of _healthy_ water.

"Well, I think I'll just be a hindrance here." The musician smiled as the warm blue fire cast him away.

"Gokuderaa!" Yamamoto whined, getting down to his knees as all his remaining energy fled out of him. "Open the door~"

"What are you, my wife?" the half-Italian boy yanked his door open and stomped out, kicking the raven-haired aside. "Get out of my house, you!"

"Gokudera is so mean!"

"Who're you calling 'mean'?"

After a few more minutes of whining and violence, Gokudera and Yamamoto found themselves sitting around a low, square table and acting like the civilized people they truly are for once. Also, in the end, Yamamoto did got himself something to do and his glass of _healthy_ water after a few more pushing of his _hospitable_ friend's buttons. They worked on their group project until the evening.

"I'm done, Gokudera." Yamamoto stretched and let his self fall back to the floor. "How about you?" he asked, staring at the ceiling. Although apartments usually looked the same, somehow Gokudera's always felt different. Even with his eyes closed, he could still tell there was something eerie about it. Had it always been like this? He couldn't say for sure. It wasn't everyday his silver-haired friend let him crash in here.

"Good. You can leave me in peace now." The young Storm Guardian sighed, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. It wasn't easy keeping his patience when it in itself was trying so hard to run away towards the cliff of his sanity.

"Huh? You want me to leave?" he pouted, putting his head over the low desk. "At least let me have something to eat, Gokudera."

Gokudera's sensitive nerve ticked. "Who the fuck do you think you are, moron?" he spat, chopping the ball of dark hair with his hand. "Just go home! And besides, I don't have anything to feed you with."

"Water's fine."

"You'll have water... for dinner." Gokudera repeated sarcastically as he glared at the boy. "Are you stupid?"

The baseball player laughed, "But you said you don't have any milk."

"You only drink milk for dinner?"

"No, but you said you're all out. So water's fine." He smiled, rolling his head with his chin serving as the fulcrum. "How about you? What are you going to eat?"

"You are an idiot." He sighed, standing up, and walked out. "Just go home, Yama—whoa!"

"Gokudera!" Yamamoto flipped around, alarmed at the half-Italian's reaction. "What—eh?"

As if a man popping up here and there wasn't strange and surprising enough, Asari Ugestu stood at the doorway to the kitchen with a big, black, rectangular serving plate in his hands that was filled with different kinds of food. "Dinner!" He beamed, handing it to the still shocked half-Italian boy. Well, Gokudera was mortified to be precise. His fastest way to get rid of one idiot just got thrown out of the window... courtesy of a very much _polite_ Ugetsu.

"Oh, hi." Yamamoto greeted, smiling. "I was wondering why you left. Are those for us?"

"Yes," Ugestu smiled back, "Here, have some. I'll have to get a few more things in the kitchen, so would you mind...?"

"Not at all!" he ran up to them and received the tray of food, "Ooh, these are traditional Japanese food! They look delicious, too!"

"Thank you."

"No, thank _you_!" he chirped, "I'm actually starving! Ha ha!"

"Well, then... help yourself." The eldest man nodded nicely and returned to the kitchen. "I'll return in a while."

"Take your time." the young swordsman waved lightly and then turned to look at his companion who had not uttered a single word in minutes. Was Gokudera okay? "Yo, Gokudera, look here. They look great don't they? Let's go back to the table and grab a few!"

"..."

"Eh? Gokudera? You okay?"

"..."

"?"

"..."

"Gokudera? Hello~"

"..."

Yamamoto blinked, but prodded further. "Gokudera's being weird. You know, you're going to catch a fly in your mouth like that."

"...idiot!" The just seconds before petrified Gokudera snarled and punched the very close idiotic smiling face squarely, making the athlete stumble back and scrabble with the black tray to keep it from spilling all the delicious food. "You! Stay here, understand?" he glared at him and stomped after the _other_ idiot currently doing real wonders in his kitchen.

"_Tell the boy how much you care,"_ whispered his memories of the musician from a day back. Was that all this is about? Asari Ugestu wanted him to confess? Psh. _No_ way! As in, nu-uh! NEVER.

"Hey, U.M.A.! U.M.A.!" he called out, walking around his kitchen, "You idiot! Show yourself!"

"Ah, Gokudera... were you calling me?" Yamamoto looked in.

"Idiot, don't flatter yourself! You're not the only idiot that I know!"

The raven-haired laughed, still holding the tray of food cautiously, "I see, I see... but Gokudera, can't we eat first?"

"Throw that away! You're not eating that!"

"Whaaaaaaat? But why?"

"Yes, Gokudera? Why?" Appeared Ugestu behind Yamamoto with almost like a _pouting_ lip.

"YOU!"

"Oh, there you are!" greeted the athlete again over his shoulder with a smile, "I thought you were preparing something. Are we playing hide-and-seek again?"

"No, you moron!" Gokudera screeched, still pointing accusingly at Ugetsu.

"Well, do you need any help then?"

"No, I can manage. Thank you." Smiled the other one back.

"Are you sure? I know these foods take a lot of time to prepare, that's why my dad only makes them during holidays."

"Yes. Besides, you were busy doing something, weren't you?"

"Yeah, but..."

...this was seriously pissing him off. He was starting to feel like _he_ was the one out-of-place at somebody else's house. Gokudera growled, "ENOUGH!"

"Eh?" the two chorused.

"You!" Gokudera pointed at Yamamoto, "Go home! And you," he pointed at Asari Ugetsu, his sensitive nerve ticking like a clock. As much as he wanted to blow this man to oblivion, he still had to use him for his research. "Disappear! For a while!"

"How come he gets to return after a while and I don't?" whined Yamamoto. "I'm hungry!"

"I don't care!" he snarled, stomping his way closer to the two raven-haired, "And don't stand so close to each other!" he said, gripping Yamamoto's shoulder and pushing him aside, his turquoise eyes firmly planted on Asari Ugetsu's smiling face. "Disappear. _Now_. And you," he turned back to the other, glaring too, "I said throw that away."

"But—"

"I said I don't care!" he blared, pulling the boy back close to him with his hand fisting Yamamoto's shirt, "Give it."

"Eh? Gokuderaaaaa... please? Just two or three bites?"

"No. Just hand it over, baseball idiot."

"No! You're gonna throw them away!"

"Give 'em!"

"No!"

"Give e—" Gokudera stiffened as he was on his tippy toes to reach the tray of food Yamamoto had raised up in the air, having heard something _rumble_. "Was... that your stomach?" he asked, but the boy laughed with a slight blush on his cheeks, putting his hands that held the tray of food down to the other one's reach as if offering.

As if the things that already happened weren't strange enough, the weirdness of that certain night didn't let up as the hours piled up and the sky darkened. Yamamoto stayed over the night after finding extra clothes and a couple of other things for hygiene in his bag that he insisted he never remembered bringing... not even the bag itself. Gokudera could only nod his head after getting stressed so much already and grumble curses that he wished would reach the one responsible for it, but it didn't end there. Almost an hour later after that, while Yamamoto was trying to get used to the couch, the silver-haired half-Italian found an extra futon in his bedroom which was set up in a way that it almost screamed, "I'm here! :D" if only it could. Again, Gokudera sent Asari Ugetsu curses via telepathy this time as he called the baseball idiot over his shoulder and told him about what he just found.

"Good night, Gokudera!"

"Hn." He rolled over, turning his back at his guest. "Night."

After that single word was spoken, silence reined their senses. It was the kind of silence that was awkward, or at least it was on Gokudera's part. Turning to lie on his stomach, he pressed his face against his pillow and stole a quick glance at the other boy occupying the floor. Yamamoto surely looked a little bit different in faint light. All those curves in his trained limbs and body became more... _something_ with the moonlight touching it lightly, like he gained a lot more of them—not that he stared at Yamamoto all the time to be sure.

"Something wrong, Gokudera?"

He snorted, "Nothing."

"You wanna sleep together? The futon's big enough for two."

"I'm sure it is." _Really._ The silver-haired groaned, turning away. "Just shut up and go to sleep."

When the both of them were robbed of consciousness by the hours that ticked by and added stress on Gokudera's part, Asari Ugetsu contentedly reappeared in between the both occupied bed and the futon laid out of the floor, happily watching the young men dozing off who have unconsciously thrown their arms towards each other's direction. The musician smiled at this and bent down to link the two hands that were shy too ask for the other in daily consciousness.

Really, Gokudera ought to confess soon.

* * *

**FEN:** Wow, thanks for the review guys! I wasn't expecting to get this much love, but I hope I'd get more this time? LOL. I really enjoyed stripping the innocent Yamamoto and Gokudera, but Yamamoto went psycho on me when I was about to take off Gokudera's boxers... ahaha! Can we strip their TYL versions this time? I go gaga over TYL!Yama, and I'll remember to tie them up this time. XD

And is there any artist here? Can I ask for UgetsuG art? I hardly see any! It's so unfair! G is as hot as hell! And so as Ugetsu! I love you Ugetsu! And LOL. Almost everyone is looking forward to G's dramatic entrance! Ahaha! XD


	3. Not Bad at All

**Listen to Your Love Song.**

As if last night wasn't enough, Mother Nature thought it was fun messing his life up and decided to join for quite an enjoyable but violent spin this morning. But let us approach that part in an easeful and climatic development manner, shall we?

When Gokudera woke up, the futon he lent Yamamoto was already folded neatly at one corner of his room. And as if he wasn't reminded enough of who was there in his apartment with him, the sound of the showering being used filled his sense of hearing while the scent of a well prepared breakfast attacked his nose. But as pleasant as it was, this wasn't a kind of morning he could get used to.

Getting out of bed, Gokudera padded towards his kitchen where he found two plates of breakfast—eggs and bacon, and a cup of hot coffee on the left group. He was sure that he never had any bacon in the fridge, but he had a very good idea where it came from. After all, almost everything had been popping here and there for _that_ guy's convenience. But, did Yamamoto prepare this? Or maybe Asari Ugetsu? Wondering, he approached one end of the high table and peered at the white smoking cup, seeing his reflection in the dark drink; then took a cautious sip.

"Do you like it?"

"Hm?" he turned around and met his classmate's smiling face, "It tastes like shit."

"Really?" Yamamoto chuckled, drying his hair with a blue towel he miraculously found in his bag along with other things like toothbrush, soap, spare underwear, and clothes that could provide him just fine for two days or three. It was weird, really. "Sorry, I haven't prepared coffee before, but I'm sure it'd taste better with milk! But you don't have any milk so..." he trailed off, putting the towel down around his neck and over his shoulders as he sat down to the other side of the table.

Would this be a day that can be referred to as, "a good Sunday morning"? Gokudera wondered as he stared at his companion gulp down the food. Was this a good thing, really? Well, he supposed it was. As long as he wouldn't get too comfortable with this, he would be fine. It's just one morning out of the millions he had woken up to alone, anyway. It wouldn't change so much.

After breakfast, and a short extra tutorial, Yamamoto packed up to head back home.

"Well, I'll be going now." He smiled, standing by the front door. "Thanks a lot for everything, Gokudera. Say thanks to your friend, too, for the food. I didn't get to see him off last night, so I guess... tell him I'm sorry, too."

The young Storm Guradian blew out a puff of smoke, "Tell the piping idiot yourself."

"Eh?"

He frowned and yelled over his shoulder, "Hey, piping idiot! Come out! Baseball idiot wants to say something to you!"

"Really?" spoke Asari Ugetsu from somewhere inside the house before showing himself behind Gokudera, "Good morning, Yamamoto Takeshi."

"Good morning." Smiled the young athlete as he repeated the words he just said. After all pleasantries were exchanged, Yamamoto bowed his head lightly and waved goodbye, walking out to the stairs away from the apartment. With a light nod, Gokudera closed the door without a second glance. But, just after one, two, three... four steps away from the entryway, Yamamoto came back knocking on his door.

"What?" the half-Italian snarled, but all other things he wanted to say died in his throat when he saw the boy drenching wet with large puddles marking his trail. "Did you just blow up your bladder or something?"

Yamamoto stretched out his wet shirt, "There was this lady watering the plants from the floor above and—"

"Idiot."

"Well, can I come in and maybe borrow some clothes?"

Gokudera sighed, jerking his head towards the inside of the apartment, "I'll check. You know where the shower is, right?"

"Yup!" he chirped, "Thank you, Gokudera!"

And now, we go back to the part where Mother Nature decided to join forces with a certain piping idiot to mess a young boy's life. After Yamamoto took a short and hot shower, and surprisingly(Gokudera: no kidding.) found another pair of extra clothes on his bag, it decided to rain. Yes, rain... and it rained _hard_. Also, to everyone's inconvenience, all Gokudera's umbrella vanished. And so did every single poor and innocent umbrella in the building when Yamamoto was beaten into borrowing from the neighbors.

"Mm. Well, I guess I have no choice," he laughed, scratching the back of his neck, "See ya, Gokudera!"

"Where are you going?" he scowled, putting out the cigarette taken from between his lips.

"Umm... well," he paused, then forced out a smile, "I have a friend staying here, too. I'm sure he'll let me hang around until the rain lets up."

"That's why you're an idiot, idiot." Gokudera scoffed, lighting another cigarette.

"Eh?"

"Idiot." He muttered, walking away. When Yamamoto didn't follow, Gokudera turned around, "What are you standing there for? Are you coming or what?"

"Ah, but... m-my friend is very nice! I'm sure he'll let me stay, so I—"

"It's not that bad, you know." The young Storm Guardian muttered, turning his back at his _friend_. "Having you help with the group project, that is. Besides, do you seriously think an idiot like you can fool me?"

"I'm... not..."

"Just come. It's not your fault that it's raining, anyway."

Really, he knew whose fault it was that every single umbrella in the structure went missing, and _whoever_ that was, Gokudera swore, will seriously, _seriously_ get the rightful '_thank you'_ he ought to get. He will surely remember every single thing that the man was responsible of when he gives it all back to him. Always the equivalent trade, but maybe it wouldn't be too bad to throw in a bonus either.

**xxx**

"So... what are you doing?"

"Hm?"

Gokudera stared weirdly at the young athlete who was running in place, the speed even varies every five minutes, too. He had been watching for almost half an hour now, and initially, he didn't have any plans of sticking his nose to this, but Yamamoto looked a lot more of an idiot than he ever did at that moment. He couldn't help but ask, so while he was slumping on his couch with a half-burnt cigarette on his lips, he voiced all the weirdness he thought of it out. But Yamamoto only smiled and continued, saying:

"Exercise!" he beamed, "I always do morning exercise."

"The only thing you're exercising right now is stupidity. You're running in place... like an idiot. Will you stop that already? I'm getting sick of it."

"Wanna do something?" Yamamoto chuckled as he wiped sweat off his face, sitting down at the couch close to his friend. "So what do you want to do?"

"How about you take a bath and leave the thinking to me? You stink." Gokudera snorted, sitting up but not before he kicked the raven-haired lightly in the stomach. This action earned him a hearty laugh and a playful punch in the face in return. "Oh, don't touch me! Eew!"

He laughed while the other one laughed. The both of them laughed and were very much content being crazy like that. Yamamoto did take a shower some time later though, but the both of them returned to that same couch right after, resuming everything they were talking about. The raven-haired sat, the silver-haired one lied down and occupied the rest of the space good enough for two more with his legs crossing Yamamoto's.

Hours ticked by and everything felt alright—_too_ alright—courtesy of a dozen can of beers now empty and laid haphazardly on the floor near the couch they were occupying.

"Ah, it's lunch time!" Yamamoto gasped, tapping the slim shin laid over his lap. "Aren't you hungry, Gokudera?"

"Nn?" The half-Italian rubbed his teary eyes, heaving long breaths to recover the oxygen he lost while he was laughing out loud. A small grin was still on his face, his brain still not completely letting go of their previous topic and all the weirdness they brought out of it due to boredom. "A bit, I guess. Has that idiot showed up yet?" Yamamoto pointed at himself, "No, the other idiot."

"Aah,"

**xxx**

"Gokuderaaa..." came Yamamoto's whining voice. Sitting cross-legged on the sofa alone, he weaved forward and backward in boredom and hardly hidden frustration. The man in question was taking a shower, but it wasn't like the bathroom was far from the living room. They were still able to communicate although being in separate rooms. "I'm hungry." He pouted.

"Is this going to be a customary thing with you?" echoed an irritated reply, "Just shut up and drink your stupid water!"

He stared at the glass of water before him and frowned. He did say he was fine with having just water last night, but Gokudera can't really be serious, can he? "Why can't I just prepare lunch for us?" the young athlete asked, rubbing his grumbling stomach in circles.

"Because I'm not fond of eating shit."

He laughed lightly, "That's mean. I don't cook that bad. But aren't you hungry?"

"Just shut up will you?" yelled the other again, this time clearer but softer. Perhaps the boy was finally out of the shower and was wondering somewhere else to dress up. "Besides, I don't have anything in my fridge."

"Well, if that's the case... why don't we eat out?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Why?" Yamamoto asked, turning around as he heard the last reply getting louder with every syllable spoken. "There'd be lots of shops to choose from, and we can buy groceries to fill up your kitchen, too."

"Just because."

"That's kind of unfair, Gokudera." He smiled wryly, "Or maybe a little too unfair."

"Idiot." The silver-haired spat, slamming his hand flat on his companion's face, and earned himself a satisfactory '_ow!_'. "Don't talk to me about being fair or unfair. You're the one freeloading at my house."

"Then I'll pay for everything." He sniffed, rubbing his reddened nose which seemed to have absorbed all the impact of the wrath of Gokudera's palm. "Mmm... that really hurt, Gokudera. You didn't have to do that."

"But I wanted to. Ever heard of generosity?" he arched a brow, "'Pay for everything', huh? Even the groceries?"

"Eh? Why the groceries, too?"

Gokudera stared at Yamamoto's confused face. He was already tired seeing this idiotic face, and the best thing that could happen at the moment was for this guy to actually leave him in peace. However, fate didn't seem like to approve that idea and kept on making branches out of the fact that the boy he liked was there with him as if he belonged there. It wasn't really that bad, actually. He just... didn't want to get used to this.

He shook his head, walking towards to someplace else. This really had to stop. Now.

_Why you ask? Because I'm selfish... _or maybe he just need to find a reason to say 'no' to him, because Yamamoto's voice alone is powerful enough to have his insides tingling crazily. Surely that face could do a lot more."I'm not going if—"

"Okay!" Yamamoto exclaimed, snatching the half-Italian's pale wrists. "Even the groceries! Just come eat with me."

"What?" he flipped around, "Are you an idiot? How much do you think—"

"I promise. I'll buy you the groceries and pay for our lunch." He asked, almost pleadingly. Desperately. His face screamed such, but Gokudera didn't want to think of it that way. Yamamoto squeezed the wrist in his grasp gently, gulping down the metaphoric obstruction in his throat. "So, please?"

"Are you that hungry? Why don't you just eat out yourself?"

"Because Gokudera hasn't eaten anything, too!" he reasoned, "You'll get sick if you don't eat anything."

"What does that got to do with you?"

"Everything."

"Don't talk like that, idiot!"

"Like what?"

"Tch! Are you stupid?" he snarled, yanking his wrist and turning around. "Whatever you say, it's still raining outside!"

"Actually, Gokudera," Yamamoto smiled, "It just stopped."

Gokudera blinked. He can't be serious! It was raining mad since this morning and it didn't seem like it'd let up until later tonight or maybe even tomorrow morning. It even seemed like there was a storm coming or something. It couldn't just stop like it had a faucet somewhere. That was just not something that happens. But true to his word, when the young guardian looked out of the window, the sky wasn't as dark as it was just seconds ago. It was bright and clear, happy like Yamamoto... and a certain someone currently out of the screen.

But that couldn't be.

"T-then just go home, baseball idiot!" he yelled, flustered, as he stomped away. Did fate really love seeing him squirm? This was too much, really! First it was that strangely dressed old man, now it was nature itself annoying him to the limits. But speaking of the old man, where was he? He wasn't the one turning the rain _faucet_ on and off, was he? _Psh_. Like hell that's possible.

"Ah, it rained again!"

It's not possible... is it?

**xxx**

Gokudera sighed, lighting up a stick of cancer that was stuck in between his lips. His weekend was stressful, and Asari Ugetsu hadn't been exactly helpful with his flute for him to get a good night's rest. The songs just kept him awake, his mind naming each and every song the man played at the roof tops. He easily recognized them, being a music-lover himself, but there was one he couldn't name. There was this sort of a sad piece that the man kept on playing ever after two or three songs. It was a piece he had never heard before.

"Gokudera-kun," Tsuna started, looking up at the smoking half-Italian, "Are you okay? You're staring into space."

"Ah? Tenth. Mm! I'm fine! Very energetic!" He smiled, waving his hand lively in front of him to emphasize his energetic_-ness_ to the openly worried future Mafia boss, "Just thinking about some stuff."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm-hm!" he nodded, "Perfectly fine."

"Okay, but Gokudera-kun really looks tired. You shouldn't push yourself."

"Of course! Thank you for your concern, Tenth! Although I'm sorry for worrying you..."

"There's nothing to worry about, Tsuna!" Yamamoto began with a grin, hooking an arm around the brunette's neck and pulling him close, "If Gokudera says he's fine, he really is! Gokudera is a very strong person, isn't he?"

"Che! You idiot! Don't touch Tenth with such familiarity!"

"Eh? Why not? But... which reminds me," the young athlete chuckled as he rummaged through his pockets, "I bought souvenirs yesterday! For all three of us!"

"Where were you yesterday, Yamamoto? Reborn wanted to drop by but your dad said you weren't home."

"Oh, I was with Gokudera. I spent the weekend with him."

"Really? Gokudera-kun, you—"

"T-t-t-that's only because I found this idiot starving in the streets, Tenth!" he exclaimed, furiously fighting the blush that was marching its way to his warming cheeks, "As the right hand man, I cannot let such pointless thing be the reason for having one less guardian! Even if it's this baseball idiot! It's unspeakable!"

Yamamoto laughed, "But wasn't it Gokudera the one who didn't have any food in his fridge?"

"Gokudera-kun, is that why—"

"No, Tenth! It's only because this idiot ate all of them! I am always healthy, Tenth!"

The raven-haired laughed again, "Actually, Tsuna, I dropped by at Gokudera's last Saturday to help him the group project and then it began to rain hard so I stayed overnight. And we ate out, so we're fine."

"Rain?" Tsuna blinked, "But it hadn't rained since—"

"Oh, here they are!" Yamamoto beamed, laying three tiny cell phone charms in middle of their circle. Gokudera snorted as he looked at each of them—a tuna fish, a dynamite, and a baseball bat.

_What a simpleton_, the half-Italian thought, _As expected from a baseball idiot_.

Maybe it was better to act like he didn't want them, but the Tenth Vongola boss already took one while looking very pleased. The right hand man ought to respect his boss' wishes and share his point of view, so he was going to accept this gift as a favor for the Tenth. There was no other reason. But as he bent down to take one from what was left, it was snatched away from his reach by a tanned hand.

"What the—"

"This is mine," the young athlete said with a smile, holding the tiny dynamite charm close to his chest with a smile. Gokudera felt his heart make a particularly strong thump beneath his chest in reaction to that annoying smile.

"W-what are you saying, you idiot? That's mine!"

"No, this is mine. The fish charm was supposed to be yours."

"Why the fuck did you buy a fish for me?"

"Because you adore Tsuna so much, so I bought you something that'll remind you of him." He chuckled, "And of me, too. Hopefully."

"Oh, sorry, Gokudera-kun," the future boss laid out his hand holding the fish cell phone charm, "I didn't know it was for you. Here,"

"Ah, n-no, i-if Tenth likes it, then," flushing red, Gokudera picked up the last charm that was lying on the ground and tied it with the other charms connected to his cell phone as Yamamoto and Tsuna happily did the same. His sapphire eyes stared long and close at the new addition to his collection, a baseball bat hanging amidst skull and gothic charms. So out of place... but it wasn't really that bad.

"Sorry, Gokudera. I should've bought Tsuna and you a pair." He said, wrapping an arm around the foreign student's neck, "I've always wanted Tsuna to join the baseball club so I bought him that. Ha ha! I didn't think it would turn out like this. Pretty interesting turn of events, don't you think?"

"Whatever. And how the hell is the dynamite one yours?" he frowned, feeling a little too conscious of the arm around his shoulders that he strangely didn't shrug off. "You're the baseball freak here, you use this stupid baseball bat charm! Let's have a swap!"

"Do'wanna!" Yamamoto chuckled, "Why do you hate it so much?"

"Because I don't want to be constantly reminded of a certain baseball idiot! Now, give me that one that you have!"

"Okay," The raven-haired laughed again, extending his arm up high, "If Gokudera can reach it. Ha ha!"

**xxx**

Gokudera gazed uninterestedly at the paper before him. It was that time of the day again—departmental exams. How boring. He sighed, tapping his pen against the wooden table. Whether he finished this quickly or not, the proctor still wouldn't dismiss him in advance, so why haste? He sighed again, cradling his chin with an open palm. What was the point of this, anyway? They already had quizzes, recitations, and board work... not to mention troublesome group works! Geez, can't teachers make more useful of their time? They aren't getting paid to just sit down and have students take stupid tests every damn time.

"_Chibi,_"

"What?" he snorted, "I'm taking exams. Go away."

"Yes, I can very well see that... _oh, _you're actually doing well." Ugetsu smiled, patting the silver-haired gently as he browsed through the questions that were well supplied with answers complete with neat solutions. "Very good, _chibi_."

HeGH

"Of course!" Gokudera huffed, feeling smug, "I'm not an idiot, after all. This is a piece of cake!"

"You think so? Good for you, then... however, not for him, unfortunately." The flute-player went down to the young boy's level and met the confused gaze. Smiling warmly, he looked back and pointed at a quite distressed raven-haired situated a few seats back. "I overheard your boyfriend is following his... _gut_. I am unsure whether that really is how it works during this time because I am certain that only fishes have such, but regardless of that, I think he ate something that had upset it."

"Huh?" the half-Italian looked back, following the man's direction, and his gaze fell on Yamamoto. Flushed red and unaware of how loud he was, he exclaimed, "Y-y-yamamoto's _not_ my boyfriend!"

"Student class number 59! Gokudera Hayato! Out!" the class proctor strictly ordered, slamming the thick class record book, "Yamamoto Takeshi, student number 80! OUT!"

"Eh?" Gokudera stiffened, face as red as a tomato, as he realized what just happened. "W-w-what—"

"Eh? G-Gokudera?" Yamamoto gasped along with half of the class, "Why..."

"I said, OUT! The both of you! NOW!"

_Shit._

**xxx**

_Shit._ Gokudera scowled, looking anywhere besides his left where Yamamoto stood ironically silent. This was awkward. After all, for a guy to say something like that was almost as good as a confession. Stupid U.M.A. What was going to happen now? He didn't want any complications. He didn't want any troubles. He just wanted it to go away! He had no intentions of confessing no matter how hard Asari Ugetsu pressed him to it. He knew what he should do, and this wasn't it. Not that he didn't like Yamamoto enough, but they just can't get into a relationship that would be awkward for the both of them. It would only impose a problem to the Tenth and to everyone else as well. As the right-hand man, he couldn't make a selfish act.

"Yamamoto, I..."

There was no other choice but to deny it, but what if Yamamoto doesn't believe it? What if he takes it as a slip of the tongue? A truth that wasn't meant to be said? For what it truly was? He knew Yamamoto wasn't as stupid as he usually implies. If he was, there was no way he could win the Rain Ring for himself, against the Sword Emperor no less. There had always been more to the young swordsman that he shows. There was even a raging beast hiding behind that raging waterfall of smile and laughter. Yamamoto was one soul of pure unpredictability.

"Gokudera," the raven-haired began, freezing every muscle Gokudera had.

This was it. _Damn. _This. Was. It! What was Yamamoto going to say? That straight lip... what words would it release? He could dream and think all he wanted, but this was reality. Reality isn't something easy to foresee, but that serious face... there was only one thing that face could say. He perfectly knew what it was going to be, but why couldn't he prepare himself for it? He was going to get rejected. If he gets rejected, nothing will ever be the same. Those last two days with Yamamoto, those days won't come again. Everything will change. Everything will change...

He was going to get _rejected!_

"Gokudera, you..."

Yamamoto... After everything, Yamamoto was going to reject him! After all those days spending time together, laughing and sharing everything they have. Yamamoto still didn't—

"Shut up!" he blurted out, his eyes stinging horribly, "I'm sorry. It was a mistake."

Yamamoto didn't like him.

When the U.M.A. appeared, telling him stupid things like confess or be nicer to him, he thought that maybe... maybe Ugestu knew something he didn't. Maybe Ugestu knew what Yamamoto was thinking so he wanted him to confess because it was going to be alright. Because maybe Ugetsu knew Yamamoto secretly liked Gokudera back, that's why it was okay. That's why he wanted him to confess.

"Gokudera..."

But everything was just really friendship, wasn't it? The U.M.A. was wrong... or maybe he was the one who took it wrong. After all, there was no special meaning to everything that had happened. Waking up with someone holding your hand... perhaps Yamamoto was dreaming of someone else right then and mistook him for whoever that person was. There was no way Yamamoto would hold a guy that gently, right? He must've been thinking of some girl.

So Yamamoto likes someone... it wasn't like it mattered. It wasn't him, so why should he care? Yamamoto was a guy, so it's normal to like a girl. He was the only one who was out of place anyway.

"Gokudera thinks so too?"

Yamamoto didn't like him back.

"Of course, you idiot," the half-Italian covered his eyes, tired, troubled... and hurt. If he didn't take that back, he was just going to hurt some more—he couldn't afford that. "It's just a stupid misunderstanding."

"I actually think so too!" Yamamoto laughed, "There's no way Gokudera and I would cheat, right?"

"Eh?"

"I'm happy I'm with Gokudera, though! You're smart, so I doubt the teachers would believe that we were cheating. They'll easily believe us that it was all just a misunderstanding. If I got stuck with Nakamura, I'm dead for sure! Ha ha! We'll sort this out fine, right?"

"..."

"Gokudera? Gokudera, is there something wrong? Are you still worried about the exams?" he asked, but still the sapphire-eyed Italian did not answer. Worried, he dropped the smile and apologized gently, which successfully gained the boy's attention finally. Smiling again, although quite sadly, he continued, "Maybe Gokudera is thinking that I'm only friends with him for this kind of situations?"

"Idiot, 'friends' my ass. And who the hell's worried?" he spat, frowning deep. "This all your fault!"

"Me? Well, if you say so," he chuckled, slinging an arm around the smaller one, "I'll be friends with Gokudera forever, so you shouldn't think about weird things like that. Of course, with Tsuna, too! So don't cry."

"I don't want to be friends with you!" Gokudera pushed at the body friendly pressing close but not strong enough to detach the boy from him. Just a push for stubborn façade. Just a push to reassure that Yamamoto was still there with no issues or anything. That tiny slip of his tongue made him realize something: to lose this boy was actually something he couldn't bear. "And who's crying, you idiot?"

"Gokudera is! Look, you're all red!" he laughed, pulling the pale-skinned boy closer to his chest. "Stop crying, Dera! I promise you we'll be together forever!"

"I'm not! And don't call me that!"

"Gokudera is so cute! Ha ha!"

"Shut up! Don't say disgusting things, you idiot!" he spat, punching the laughing raven-haired in the stomach, "Go die!"

"I really like Gokudera. It's always fun and interesting when I'm with you." Yamamoto said, pressing them even closer to each other. "That's why we'll always be together, Gokudera. Always and forever, I promise!"

"Che! Selfish bastard." he snorted, scrunching up his face in disgust, but deep inside, he knew so well how hot the fire burned. It wasn't desire or anything disgusting, it was pain, but he was a lot stronger than this. He could handle this prickly feeling. "Deciding all on your own! I don't want to spend my life with you!"

"Of course," he chuckled, "but when Gokudera marries, let me be your best man, okay?"

"What? Who said anything about marrying?

"Eh? You have no plans of marrying, Gokudera? Why? Everyone dreams to marry the person they like. I actually do, too."

"Who asked you, you idiot? And no, girls are too troublesome."

"You like guys then?"

"HUH?"

"Just kidding!" Yamamoto laughed, pulling back and slapping the smaller one on the back instead, "Gokudera will be on my wedding, though!"

"What makes you so sure, huh? And I am _not_ going to be your best man, you idiot! I'd rather die!" He snarled and punched back as he regained his footing. "Besides, no girl is going to marry a baseball idiot like you, idiot!"

"So mean!" he smirked, moving his head to the side to avoid the effortless counter, "But of course Gokudera can't be my best man. It will be Tsuna, after all."

"You idiot, don't you dare trouble the Tenth with such pointless events like your wedding."

"Mm. It's not pointless." Yamamoto smiled, "Someday, Gokudera will not find it pointless. When that time comes, you'll see."

Gokudera scowled, but as always, there was more to that frown that what he claimed it had. It had always been like that, hadn't it? It was actually almost laughable how he had been ever since he realized he actually liked the baseball idiot. How he denied the evident and believed almost desperately in things that had no grounds just to keep himself from falling completely, which obviously, didn't help at all.

"What nonsense bullshit are you spouting now, you idiot? I don't get you."

But it wasn't like it mattered, because it didn't. It never did, because the feeling was just too strong. Too obvious. Too overpowering.

"Aah, I mean it, Gokudera!"

But no matter how strong it is, it _will_ be contained in this pretense friendship. No matter how _weak_ the ground this _friendship_ stood on, Gokudera will keep it firm, because this was the only place they could be together as long as they could be and he will cherish every second of it until he couldn't keep it from crumbling anymore.

"Whatever. Just shut up."

Until what Yamamoto promised—to be together always and forever_—_becomes a lie, because this weak pretense was all that he had.

* * *

**FEN:** Sorry. Rushed. And late. College. A bitch. DX


End file.
